Means for feeding collapsible tubular members onto cores



July 28, 1953 w. D. KENNEDY JEANS FOR FEEDING COLLAPSIBLE TUBULAR MEMBERS ONTO CORES 2 Shee ts Sheet 1 Filed March 19, 1949 INVENTOR KENNEDY i mfi WALTSZDAVID July 28, 1953 w. D. KENNEDY 2,646,592

MEANS FOR FEEDING COLLAPSIBLE TUBULAR MEMBERS ou'ro CORES Filed March 19, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 |NVENTOR WALTER DAVID KENNEDY Patented July 28, 1953 I OFFICE MEANS FOR FEEDING COLLAPSIBLE TUBULAR- MIEMBERS ONTO CORES Walter David Kennedy, London, England Application March 19, 1949, Serial No. 82,452 In Great Britain February 7, 1949 4 Claims.

This invention concerns means for feeding collapsible tubular members on to a core and has particular reference to feeding sausage casings on to a rod or stick. For convenience the specification will refer only to the latter use but, nevertheless, it is to be understood that the invention is not so limited.

In the manufacture of sausages it has been usual to feed the sausage casing on to a rod or stick and this operation may be performed manually. Due, however, to the friction between the casing and the stick this takes considerable time and effort.

When the casing is mounted on the stick the latter is placed in endwise engagement with the nozzle of a stufling machine and the casing slid off the stick on to the nozzle.

This invention broadly has for its object to reduce the friction between a collapsible tubular member and a core when the former is fed over the latter.

More specifically the present invention has for its object to reduce the friction between a sausage casin and a transfer rod or stick so that the casing may be readily fed on to the rod. It is a further object of this invention to enable I this operation to be performed mechanically.

According to the present invention apparatus for preparing a collapsible tubular member for transfer to a cylindrical receiver comprises a frame, a cylindrical core supported towards one end from the frame, said core comprising a pair of relatively long, thin elements lying side by side, spaced apart transversely of their length, substantially parallel and projecting from the other end of the core to its support, a pair of rollers, means for supporting the rollers from the frame, and means for driving the rollers, the arrangement being that the tubular member is adapted to be gripped between the pair of rollers and fed over the elements of the cylindrical core on to said core, the rollers engaging the tubular member between the elements to feed it over them.

The present invention also includes within its scope a rod for transferring sausage casings to the nozzle of a sausage stuiling machine, and, according to this feature of the invention, the rod comprises a pair of relatively long, thin elements which lie side by side, are spaced apart transversely of the elements and are substantially parallel, said elements projecting wholly beyond one end of the rod to which they are immovably secured, the thickness of the rod at the end thereof which carries said elements, in a I 2 direction normal to a plane containing the elements, being not greater than the thickness of the elements and progressively increasing to a substantially circular cross-section at a point intermediate the ends of the rod. I

A practical application of the present invention will now be described, merely by way of-example, with reference to the accompanying drawings whereof, I I 1 Figure 1 is a plan view of a rod for transferring sausage casings to the nozzle of a stufling machine in accordance with the present invention, I

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the rod of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 to an enlarged size,

Figure 4 is a general perspective view showing apparatus for feeding a sausage casing on to the rod of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing certain details of the apparatus of Figure V Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3; the transfer rod, which is generally indicated by the reference numeral H], has a cylindrical'body ll, one end of which is wedge-shaped as at [2. The

, sausage casings are adapted to be fed on to the rod In at the wedge-shaped end l2 and to pass over the body ll. When the end I3 is placed against the nozzle of a stufiing machine the casing will be transferred from the rod ill to the I nozzle by sliding the casings off the-end l3 of the rod. 7 I

Projecting from the wedge-shaped end of the rod is a pair of spaced-apart elements 14. The elements preferably enter holes drilled in the wedge l2 and are welded or otherwise immovably secured thereto to project wholly beyond the end of the rod. As is clear from Figure 1 the elements are relatively longand thin and are substantially parallel and lie side by side. The free ends of the elements arejoined together to form an outwardly-directed arch I 6. The distance between the elements may be slightly greater than the diameter of the body II, but the distance round the elements is less than the circumference of the casing. The elements l4 therefore form a hairpin projecting from the wedge l2 of the rod l0. v

The thickness of the wedge portion l2 (i. e. in a direction normal to a plane containinguthe elements l4) increases progressively from the elements (where the thickness of the wedge is less than the thickness of the elements) to a rollers.

Referring now to Figure 4: the transfer rod In is received by a sleeve I! which is pivoted at I8 to a bracket 19 carried by a frame 20. The rod Ill lies horizontally and may be readily removed from the sleeve I1 and replaced;

The frame 20 carries a pair of cork rollers 2| which are movable towards and away from each other and are adapted to touch between the elements M of the rod Id. The sausage casing 22 is drawn from a tray 23, passes over a guide 24,

. towardsthe elements Mand is fed over the elements-and: on tothe body H by the rollers 2i.

To begin with a sausage. casing is withdrawn over thearch l6. and along the elements It by hand and the casing. which is stretched-between the. elements isthen. brought to between the The rollers arethen brought together soas-t'oengage the stretched casingbetween elements l4 and are suitably driven thereby feeding, the casing. over the elements and onto the body ll. Any. increase of pressure between the rollersimmediately increases their grip on the casing without increasing the frictional grip between casing and elements.

In Figure 5 there is diagrammatically shown the rollers 2|. mounted on shafts 25 which are supported in bearing blocks 26. The bearing blocksarecapable of moving towards and away from each other between the slides 21. The bearings 26 are engaged by springs 28 to press the shafts.25 towardseach other. The shafts 25 ar engagedby. rollers 29 carried by a pivotal arm 30 which is rotatable by the shaft 3! so as to separate the shafts. The shaft 3i is turned by ahandle 32 (see Figure 4).

Each. of shafts 25 carries a pulley 33 over whichpasses a belt 34 which is driven from an electric. motor 35 by a pulley 31. To allow for the movement ofthe shafts25 towards and away from. one another. the belt 35 passes over a jockey pulley 38.

With the arrangement described the handle 32' is normally held in. a position such. that the rollers 2| are held apart. When the casin has been drawn over the fingers I 4 as above described and the rodhas been mounted in the sleeve 41 and brought to between rollers 21 the handle 32 is. adjusted to-allow rollers 2! to be moved towards each. other by. the springs 28. When the motor 35. drives the. roller 21 the casing will be fed onto the rod.

The: transfer rod is preferably made from stainless. steel but it will be appreciated that other. materials may. be used. Where the material. of. the transfer rodis liable to corrosion it may be plated or. otherwise treated.

I claim:

1.. Apparatus for preparing a collapsible tubular member for transfer to a cylindrical receiver comprising a frame, a cylindrical core supported towards one endfrom the frame, said core comprising a pair of relatively long, thin elements lyingv side by. side, spaced apart transversely of their length, substantially parallel. and. projecting fromtheother end of the core to its support, a pair of rollers, supporting means on the frame carrying the rollers and driving means connected to said rollers rotating said rollers in opposite directions, said rollers being supported from the frame so as to grip the tubular member between the pair of rollers and feed it over the elements of the cylindrical core on to said core, said rollers engaging the tubular member between the elements to feed it over them.

2. Apparatus for preparing a sausage casing for transfer. to a stuffing machine comprising a frame, a transfer rod supported towards one endfrom the frame, said rod comprising a pair of relatively long, thin elements lying side by side,.spaced apart transversely of their length, substantially parallel and projecting from the other end of the rod to its support, a pair of rollers,.supporting means on the frame carrying the rollers and driving means connected to said rollersrotating said rollers in opposite directions, said rollers being supported on the frame soas to grip the tubular member between the peripheries of. the pair of rollers and feed it over the elements of the transfer rod and. on to the rod, said rollers engaging the sausage casing between the elements tofeedit over them.

3. Apparatus for preparing a sausage casing for transfer to a stufiing machine comprising a frame, a-transfer rod supported towards one end from the frame, said rod comprising a pair. of relatively long, thin elements lying side by side, spaced. aparttransversely. of their length, substantially parallel. and projecting. from the other end of the. rod to its support, a pair of rollers, supporting means on the frame carrying the rollers, resilient means pressing. the peripheries of the rollers toward each other and driving means connected, to said rollers rotating said rollers in opposite directions, said rollers being supported on the frame soas to grip the tubular member between the-peripheries of the pair of rollers and feedit over the elements of the transfer rodand on to therod, said rollers engaging the sausage casingbetween the elements to feed it over them.

4. Apparatus for preparing a sausage casing for transfer to a stuffing machine comprising a frame, a transfer rodsupported towards one end from the frame, said rod comprising. a pair of relatively long, thin. elements. lying side by side, spaced apart transversely of their length, substantially parallel and projecting from the other end of. the rod to its support, a pair of rollers, a. shaft on which each roller is mounted. a bearing to support each shaft, a bearing mounting. in the frame allowing the shafts to move towards and away from each other to vary the distance between the rollers, resilient means on-the bearing. mounting urging thebearing mountings toward each other and driving means connected to the shafts rotating said shafts and thereby the rollers in opposite directions, saidrollers beingsupportedon the frame so asto grip the tubular member between. the peripheries of the pair of rollers and feed it over the elements of the transfer rod and on to the rod, said rollers engaging the sausage. casing between the elements tofeed it over them.

WALTER DAVID KENNEDY.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number D. 31,349 208,858 744,712 1,059,411 1,222,318 1,523,465 1,616,971

Name Date Lewald Aug. 8, 1899 Smith Oct. 8, 1878 Bitterling Nov. 24, 1903 Unversaw et a1. Apr. 22, 1913 Miller Apr. 10, 1917 Villemer Jan. 20, 1925 Henderson Feb. 8, 1927 Number 

